Rebel Cell
by LostCommander13
Summary: One ship, a gift from a pirate crew. Two leaders, a boy and a girl. Eight others, who would follow their leaders throughout the galaxy. All of them armed and willing to do whatever they can to show the Empire that they're not backing down.
1. Chapter 1: Normal

**Chapter 1: Normal**

 **DJ's POV:**

"What do you _mean_ she's not here?" I snapped, ducking down behind the line of crates as more blaster bolts shot over our heads.

Beside me, Renegade did the same. Some of her bright red hair had come loose from its braid, falling into her face. "I _mean,_ she went after some TIEs," she replied, pulling a bomb out of her jacket pocket.

"Not yet," I told her, grabbing my comlink off my belt. "Scar, you take care of those TIEs yet?"

" _On my way back already, DJ. Two minutes."_

"Good." I put the device away and glanced at Ren as she ducked back down after firing a few shots at the Stormtroopers. "Scar'll be here in two. Soon as she's down, throw the bomb, and we'll make a break for it. Everybody got that?" I looked at the other three people- two boys on my right, Ren and another girl on my left. All four nodded within a few seconds of one another. "Great. Avin, how's Castyl?"

Avin glanced at Castyl, who was gingerly massaging his ankle. "Looks broken."

"It's not broken," Castyl argued.

"We'll get it taken care of," Ren said anyway. "You'll help him back to the ship?"

Avin nodded and looked up. "Scarlett's here!"

Sure enough, there was _Catalyst_ , swooping out of the clouds. I waited until it was hovering low to the ground and the ramp opened, then gestured for Ren to throw her bomb. As soon as it went off, Shadow bolted for the ship, Avin and Castyl following a little slower. Ren and I went last, covering the others as smoke from the explosive began to clear. By the time it _did_ clear, we were already on our ship and in hyperspace.

I made sure Castyl was taken to the medbay then headed to the cockpit. Ren was was there, sitting in the co-pliot's seat.

"-set us up," Ren was saying, twirling her hair around her finger. "I don't think we can trust him anymore."

"I don't think he set us up. Probably didn't know there'd be so many of them," I said.

Ren sighed. "DJ, they were _waiting_ for us. Those crates were empty. Niklas set us up."

"We can't just not take jobs from him, though. You _know_ how hard it is to find someone that will hire a bunch of kids." I sat down on the other seat.

"I could always-"

I shook my head. "No, Ren. Not after what happened last time. We'll figure something out."

"We may not have much choi-"

Scarlett turned around in her seat. "I could ask my mom for some money, if we need it."

"I can't ask you to do that, Scar." I shook my head again. "Besides, your folks already gave us _Catalyst_ and most of our weapons. I appreciate the offer, though."

Before any of us could say anything else, the cockpit door slid open. I rolled my eyes as the twins tumbled in, wrestling with one another.

"Give it back!" Kylia snapped.

"Why don't you _make me_ , sleemo?!" Kenth retorted.

"Your turn," I told Ren, gesturing at the identical fifteen-year-olds.

She sighed but stood up and grabbed each of them by the shirt collar, pulling them apart and outside the cockpit.

"DJ!"

I jumped at the voice, whirling around. "Stop _doing_ that!"

Night smiled, half his face obscured by his black bangs that he insisted on keeping cut that way. "You sure are jumpy for a leader."

"Well maybe if you quit sneaking up on me, I wouldn't be so jumpy. Is something wrong?"

"Where's Shadow?"

"Probably in the medbay making sure Castyl's okay. Or letting Lillie teach her how to be a medic."

Night nodded. "Thanks!"

Then he was gone, just as quietly as he had entered. I sighed and leaned back in my seat, closing my eyes. _I need sleep. Or caf._ Just as I started to relax, a loud crash echoed through the ship. I rushed to the cargo bay to find Kenth and Kylia still wrestling amid a bunch of toppled crates, hurling insults at one another. Ren wasn't in the room.

"Knock it off, you two." They didn't seem to hear me over their own voices, so I raised my own. "That's enough!"

They stopped fighting and looked up at me. Kenth had a hand full of his twin's hair; Kylia's fist was halfway to her brother's face.

"What are you fighting about this time?"

"Kenth stole my datapad!"

"I didn't _steal_ it. I broke it, so ha!"

I groaned, pulling Kylia off of him before she could punch him. "Seriously? Okay, I'm done _asking_ you to stop. I'm done warning you. Kenth, you're going to inventory our supplies and weapons. Kylia, you're cleaning this up. Along with everyone's cabins. Except Ren's, she's working on something and she has everything a certain way, so just leave it alone."

"But-" they started in unison.

I shook my head. "I've told you to stop fighting one another. _Several_ times. Maybe now you'll listen."

They sighed. "Yes, DJ."

Kylia started cleaning up the fallen crates; her twin walked away, heading for the armory. I left as well, stopping by the medbay. I smiled at the sight. Lillie was in the middle of explaining how to treat sprained ankles while Shadow listened intently, nodding every once in awhile. Night sat on a chair in the corner, watching over his younger sister with a small smile.

"So...R-I-C-E stands for?" Lillie asked.

"Rest, Ice, compression, and…" Shadow hesitated. "...Elevation?"

Lillie nodded, her lekku twitching. "Very good. You're going to be a great medic."

Shadow grinned broadly, looking over her shoulder at Night; he smiled back and gave her a thumbs-up.

Castyl cleared his throat. "Is the lesson over?" Castyl asked, his arms crossed. "I hate to interrupt learning, I really do, but I want to go finish my book."

"Okay, just be careful on that ankle for a bit, got it?"

"Yes, Dr. Orum." Castyl got off the cot he was sitting on, nodding at me as he passed. "Ren wants you to meet her in her cabin. She says you need to _talk_." He smirked, making air-quotes around the last word.

"Real funny," I muttered as he was walking away, ignoring the other three chuckling in the medbay. _How many times do I have to tell them that me and Ren aren't together?_ I rolled my eyes and headed for Ren's cabin. _Probably gonna try to talk me into letting her take solo missions again._ I stopped in front of Ren's door and knocked a few times.

"Just a second!"

I waited until the door opened and then walked in. The room was a mess; papers and datapads we strewn everywhere, some papers taped to the wall. All of them were covered with lists and notes, a lot of it scratched out. Ren saw what I was looking at and sighed, finishing putting her hair up in a ponytail.

"Any luck?" I asked.

"Nope. Nothing but dead ends."

I gave her a reassuring smile. "We'll find him. I _know_ we will."

She nodded. "I hope so." The sad look she had gotten vanished, replaced by a serious one as she sat down on Shadow's bunk. "DJ, after what happened today...I really don't think we can trust Niklas anymore."

"I know, but we don't exactly have much choice. It's hard to find anyone who'll take a bunch of kids seriously."

"I could always track down some of his contacts," Ren said, glancing at her notes. More specifically, the name written on the center page. "They gave him jobs, and he was only fourteen."

"Fine," I relented. "But you're not going alone when you do."

"I won't." She went quiet for a few minutes, fiddling with her silver ring.

I frowned. "What's wrong?"

Ren sighed. "I have another lead, but...I need to go talk to the guy tomorrow, because he leaves the day after. I haven't been able to do it sooner because I was busy with missions and stuff. And I'm supposed to meet him in a pretty dangerous place. I don't want to put everyone else at risk when I'm pretty much grasping at straws at this point."

"We'll figure something out," I promised her. She smiled at me, and I smiled back. "Dinner time?"

"Food sounds _awesome_."

I half-bowed, holding one arm towards the door. "After you, _madam_."

Ren laughed and copied me. "Thank you, _sir_."

She looked back at her notes one last time before the door shut, but I was just happy she didn't look so sad anymore. Side by side, we went to join the others for dinner.


	2. Chapter 2: New Partner

**Chapter 2: New Partner**

 **Ren's POV:**

I didn't look up, sitting cross-legged on a crate while I scanned the words on my data-pad. "One of his contacts has set up camp on Lothal. We can head into town, and grab a ride to Lothal with an old friend of mine. Seems better to not use our ship for something like this until we get a job or two."

"Hope that 'friend' isn't that gang member. I don't trust that guy," DJ said.

I glanced up at him as he holstered his blaster. "Firstly, he's not my friend. And, no, it's not Ark. Besides, you might like this friend. Her name's Amara."

"You assume I'm gonna like them because they're a girl?"

"You'll like her because she's not exactly part of a gang."

"Then what is she?"

"A pirate."

DJ blinked a couple times then sighed. "Really?"

"Scarlett's family are pirates, remember? She was a pirate, too, before she joined up with us."

"Well, yes, but...Has...Amara killed anyone?"

"Not that I know of, no." I stood up, walking over to the speeder bike across the room. "You coming or not?"

DJ followed me outside while I checked over the speeder bike to make sure it didn't need any maintenance. "So how do you know this person?"

"She gave me a lift here not long before I met you. She's pretty nice." I climbed onto the speeder bike, moving forward so there was plenty of room for DJ.

"Wait, you're driving?" He looked unsure but climbed on anyway.

I started the bike as I answered, "Yup. Why?"

"You almost drove us into a building last time."

" _Almost_ drove us into a building. I didn't."

"Just don't go so fa-REN!"

DJ grabbed onto me as I gunned it, racing away from _Catalyst_. His arms stayed around my waist loosely after I slowed down to a normal pace for the rest of the ride.

"You're not funny," DJ grumbled.

"I'm pretty funny. You've just got no sense of humor."

DJ muttered something about crazy red-heads and went quiet. More than halfway to where I had told Amara we might meet them, DJ let go of my waist, leaving me feeling a little disappointed. _We both have much more important things to think about. Even if he_ is _amazing…_ I groaned.

"You okay?"

 _I forgot he was right behind me. Blast it._ "I'm fine, just a little tired. Shadow had a nightmare last night, so I sat up with her for a few hours."

"Night had a nightmare, too. He wouldn't let me help, though. He went and checked on her before I could convince him to go back to sleep."

"Yeah, I saw him. He copes differently, though. Night doesn't need or want your help."

"I know, but I don't like seeing any of them upset. Especially the youngest of us."

I glanced back at him. "He just needs to know his sibling is okay, and he's mostly okay. A lot of older brothers are like that." I faced front again, muttering, "Mine sure was."

One of DJ's arms wrapped around my waist again, and I welcomed the warm touch as I easily guided the bike down the streets towards the landing bay. "We'll find him, but we gotta take care of our team first. They're our family, too."

"Yeah, I know. Well… We're here," I said, gesturing at the YV-865 landed in front of us.

We climbed off the bike in unison, and I walked around the ship. Amara was helping two guys from her crew load crates onto the expensive ship.

"Amara?"

The black-and-green-haired girl looked up, smiling as we walked over. "Ren Chase, it's been awhile."

"It has," I replied, shaking her gloved hand as I glanced at the other two pirates. "I thought your crew was bigger?"

"It is. Malcolm and Avier are in medical. Malcolm's got a concussion and a dislocated shoulder, and Avier's got broken ribs and a dislocated jaw."

I frowned. From what I remembered, Avier and Malcolm were both pretty strong pirates. Avier was a Trandoshan, and Malcolm was human. "What happened?"

"A kriffing mouthy kid with a knife happened. We were just trying to collect a bounty, and the kriffing criminal got loose and beat Malcolm and Avier and took my pilot hostage 'till he landed and then kid made a break for it."

"A kid?" DJ asked, eyes lighting up with interest. I knew what he was thinking and subtly shook my head. We didn't have enough room or resources for anyone else, as much as he liked recruiting new people.

"He was wanted for a reason." Amara shrugged and stood up, finished loading the crates. "Bounty was 2000 creds, too! Anyways, you two need a lift to Lothal?" We helped her load our bike onto her ship.

"Yeah. That'd be great."

DJ looked between me and Amara for a minute before we followed her onto the ship.

"Why not?" he asked quietly.

"Because, DJ, we barely make enough to support the crew we already have. Besides, I doubt whoever she was talking about would be easy to find."

He nodded slowly. "Right…He sounds pretty volatile, too."

"Wouldn't you do the same if you were at risk of getting turned in to the Empire?"

"Depends on the situation."

Amara sat down on the acceleration couch; I joined her, but DJ stayed standing.

She grinned widely as she looked from me to DJ and back again. "Soooo...Got a boyfriend now, huh, Chase?"

DJ and I shared a look, replying together, "We're not dating."

"Too bad. He's cute."

DJ turned red and rubbed the back of his neck. I didn't say anything, as much as I wanted to. _He's extremely cute._ During the flight, Amara and I played a few games of holo-chess, which she won. DJ hated holo-chess. I didn't particularly like it, but I used to play it all the time with my family. When the flight was over, Amara watched us as we got off the ship, unloading our bike by ourselves.

"Be back here in two hours or find another way off-planet. I got a schedule to keep."

I promised her that we would; DJ and I got back on our bike and drove away.

"How bad is this person we're meeting?"

"I never told you who we're meeting."

"Which probably means they're not the type of person I like having to deal with. How bad are they?"

I shrugged. "Not much worse than Niklas. Maybe a little more of a criminal or a more organized criminal."

"Of course."

"We're running out of options, okay? He's more likely to hire us; less picky about who we are."

"So he's another Niklas?"

"We'll be more careful this time," I said.

DJ sighed. "Doesn't matter how careful we are if we're desperate. How do you know he won't sell us out like Niklas did? We can't-"

"My brother did jobs for him, alright? He didn't sell him out."

"Did he know what yo-what your brother is?"

 _He has a didn't know._ "Of course he didn't know. We- Chance tried really hard not to let anyone know. I was the one that ruined that."

"You were, what, nine? It wasn't your fault."

"I know that, but still."

DJ didn't say anything for nearly a minute, then finally, "Do you have it with you?"

If I hadn't needed both hands to steer the bike, I would've reached for my bag, just to be sure it was there. I knew it was; it was _always_ there. "Yeah."

"You didn't leave it back on the ship?"

"You know I always keep it with me. Chance told me to keep it safe."

I slowed the bike and then stopped, about six yards away from the camp. DJ slid off first, and I followed shortly after, absently clutching my backpack strap. Vizago was talking to someone when we approached,someone tall wearing armor and a helmet.

DJ gestured at the armored figure subtly, mouthing _bounty hunter_. I shrugged in response, getting closer to the two talking.

"-tel was inaccurate!" the armored man- I guessed it was a male, unless it was just how the voice sounded from inside the helmet- snapped. "That area was under gang control! By the gang that wants me dead!"

DJ glanced at me pointedly. I just rolled my eyes at him and kept listening.

"Vizago's intel was not inaccurate, you did not ask who controlled territory, just if what you wanted was there. It was."

"Yeah, it was. And it was surrounded by mines."

"Not my problem."

The man growled and walked away, pushing passed us as he did. DJ stumbled into me but got his balance back quickly, glaring at the retreating figure. Vizago noticed us then.

"You must be person that contacted me last night."

I nodded, ignoring DJ's look at the information. "I am. You hired my brother for a couple jobs, seventeen-year-old named Erik?"

"Erik...Odai?"

I nodded again.  
Vizago studied me for a minute. "You're that kid he had with him a couple times. What brings you to Vizago?"

"We need you to hire us and our crew," DJ said.

"How big a crew?"

"Ten, minus our medic and pilot who usually don't go on missions, per se," I answered.

"Adults?"

DJ shook his head. "None of us are over eighteen, but we're just as good as an adult crew. People tend to underestimate us, so we get done faster."

Vizago hesitated a few minutes. "Vizago does have a job that needs done. A shipment of Imperial weapons to Garel in three days. Intercept it and bring the weapons here." He glanced between me and DJ before handing the data-pad he had been holding to me. "Information's on there." And then he walked away.

DJ and I looked at each other. _What?_

"That went... better than expected."


	3. Chapter 3: Combat Ready

**Chapter 3: Combat Ready**

DJ's POV:

 _This was_ not _as easy as it looked in writing._ "Somebody get the shields back online!" I called, shooting another TIE down as it flew by. "Are the twins back aboard yet?"

"Nope. They're still in their TIE, providing support," Scarlett replied.

 _We shouldn't have let them steal that thing. Well, it_ was _given to them. At least Avin drew our symbol on it._

"Tell them to get back aboard ASAP!" I ordered as I shot down another TIE.

"Boss?"

I nodded before remembering Scarlett couldn't see me. "Yes?"

"There's ship on my scanner. And I can see it, now. It's not Imperial. I don't know what it is, but there's TIEs going after it."

"Let's give 'em a hand, then. Who's my gunners?"

"Me." That was Ren, voice clear over the internal comm system.

"Holland."

Night. _Why's he always use his surname for check-ins?_ "Alright, keep that unidentified ship covered. Scarlett, tell the twins I changed my mind. We'll need their help protecting the other ship."

"On it."

"Anybody not in a turret or working on something vital, strap in. I don't want another injury because somebody ignored my order, _Avin_."

There were a few laughs and one unanimous 'yes sir'. I could see the other ship now, but I couldn't tell what it was.

"No way," Ren said.

"What is it?"

"That looks like a-"

The ship jolted as blasts from a TIE hit the shields, just before Ren shot it out of the sky. The light cruiser was heading towards the other ship as well.

"Scar, you contact the o-"

"Did it, boss," Scarlett cut in. "They say their hyperdrive's damaged. Once we get there, what's our plan?"

I hesitated, firing at another TIE and nearly cussing when I missed. Someone else took it out. "Get the twins back aboard," I decided. "Tell one of them to detach their TIE, and then tell the other ship to dock with us. We'll jump away once they're here. Sound good, Ren?"

"Yup."

I nodded. "Everyone good?"

Several yes's answered me, and I grinned. I heard the twins as they docked, then Kylia peeked into my turret.

"We put explosives on it. Can we ditch it over the light cruiser? It'll distract 'em good enough to give us time to jump away."

"Sure. You catch that, Scar?" I asked.

"Got it, boss."

They argued over who would get to detach the ship, but eventually settled it amongst themselves once we were too close to the light cruiser for comfort. It exploded not long after. _Remote detonator._

The other ship docked with us, and we jumped to hyperspace about a minute later. I climbed out of the turret, joining Ren in the hall. Shadow was right behind her, following Ren as usual. Shadow never left her side for very long.

"You did great," Shadow said.

"We all did great. I'm guessing you fixed the shields?"

She nodded slowly, hiding behind her black hair. "It wasn't too hard."

Ren smiled and patted her shoulder. "Course it wasn't. Not for someone so smart."

"Hate to break up the touchy-feely moment, but Scar says the person in the other ship was asking for our commander to come meet them at the airlock," Kenth said, then ran after his sister after she shoved him and bolted passed us. "You little-"

I shook my head, glancing at Shadow, and Kenth went quiet. Ren looked at me and shrugged then headed towards the airlock with Shadow trailing behind her. I followed them both.

The person was already waiting for us when we got there. She was an orange-skinned Togruta.

"You're the commander?" she asked.

I nodded, then gestured at Ren, too. "We're both leaders. I'm DJ."

Ren didn't say anything for several seconds, so I nudged her. "Wha-oh, I'm Renegade. But I go by Ren."

She nodded, then noticed Shadow, hiding behind Ren. "And who are you, young one?"

Shadow didn't answer, just wrapped one arm around Ren, who smiled. "We call her Shadow. She's a little shy."

"I see...There are more of you, I assume."

I nodded. "Seven more. They're… being them. We can show you around, if you like?"

"I would like that."

Ren nodded towards Shadow. "We're gonna be in our cabin. I told her I'd show her how to braid hair."

I smiled at how Shadow's eyes lit up happily. "You two have fun, then."

Ren and Shadow walked off. I lead the unnamed person passed the cargo bay and medbay, and stopped to knock on the first cabin-Castyl and Avin's- door. It was open, and I laughed at what I saw. Castyl was sitting on the bottom bunk, holding his

"-I move now?" Castyl asked, frowning at Avin.

Avin sat beside the door, his sketchbook balanced on his lap. "No. You said you'd let me draw you, now sit still, love!"

I chuckled. "Avin and Castyl." I moved on, deciding not to open Kenth and Kylia's door- I could hear them fighting over something. "That's the twins. They're… a little crazy."

I started to pass their room, but there was a very loud crash, and then the door opened.

"DJ!" the twins chorused.

"Yeah?"

"Will you tell him I'm taller?"

"Will you tell her I'm taller?"

I groaned. "Seriously? If one of you is taller, it's hardly noticeable."

They nodded at the strange woman, who had been quiet during the 'tour', and ran off. The woman spoke up as I headed towards the cockpit.

"You were on the holo-net. They called you insurgents. Is that true?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Technically, yes." We stepped into the cockpit, where Scarlett and Lillie and Night were having a discussion about something.

"-st saying, an A-113 is way better than a…" Night trailed off when he noticed us.

 _Blasters, then._ "This is Night, Scarlett, and Lillie. And that's it."

Scarlett said hello, running her hand through her dyed orange hair. Lillie waved. Night didn't really do anything, hiding behind his hair just like his sister had done. _Shadow opens up much faster than he does, though._

The woman didn't comment on Night practically ignoring her. "Just you ten? Just children?"

"I'm nearly eighteen, and we work just as well- if not better- than some adult teams," I explained, trying not to get defensive.

"That's incredible, honestly. How would you feel about joining other groups like yours?"

Scarlett straightened in her seat. "You mean like… joining the rebellion? Of course we-Or, I'd love that. DJ?"

I shrugged. "We'll ask everyone. Put it to a vote. Shadow can fix your hyperdrive, while you wait. Let's go get her." I led her back to Ren's cabin, waiting for a second outside Ren's door when I heard laughter. I knocked.

"Come in!"

The door opened. Shadow was still giggling, braiding another section of Ren's had already finished at least half a dozen small braids. They were messily done and all over the place, but Shadow just seemed so proud of what she'd accomplished. Ren looked proud too.

 _She's so beautiful._ I tried to ignore the thought, but I couldn't. _There's no time for relationships right now. Besides, there's no way she likes me._ "Hey, Shadow?"

"Yes, DJ?"

"Would you mind fixing our guest's hyperdrive? And joining the rest of us for a meeting when you're done?"

She hesitated, glancing at the woman and Ren. "Will you-"

Ren nodded and stood up. "Of course I'll stay with you."

They headed back to the stranger's ship, and the woman went with them. I joined Night and Scarlett in the cockpit; Lillie had gone somewhere else. Night was still having a discussion about why his blaster was the best. Scarlett was arguing with him, saying her blaster was the best, and I decided to cut in.

"Guys, we all know Ren has the best weapon."

"True," Night agreed. Then he looked back at Scarlett. "But an A-113 is still the best blaster pistol."

The debate started up again, and I just smiled as I listened. _My team. We're definitely combat ready._


	4. Chapter 4: Bad Memories

**Chapter 4: Bad Memories**

Ren's POV:

"We're all here, DJ," I reported after managing to get everyone to stay still long enough for a head-count.

DJ nodded, and I joined him in front of the others. "As you probably know, we have an offer to join a larger rebellion. I know Ren and I are technically in charge… "

"But we've agreed that putting it to a vote is the best decision," I finished. " As usual, majority rules, unless the reasons are something we can't overlook. Who thinks this is a good idea?"

Scarlett's hand shot up before I was done speaking. Soon after, Kenth and Avin and Shadow followed suit. _Shadow's for it, but Kylia's not?_ DJ and I waited a few more seconds then raised our own hands.

"So that settles it, then," Scarlett said.

DJ shook his head. "We want the reasons for those who don't agree. Kylia?"

"I don't really want to be part of some big military thing. Feels too much like my parents were trying to do."

I nodded. _Makes sense._ "Lillie?"

"I'm alright either way, really, but I kinda like it just being _us_ , you know? We know each other well enough to know how we react to certain things."

"Cas?" DJ asked.

"What's the question?"

DJ smiled. "You're reading, aren't you? Question was: why don't you want to join a larger rebellion?"

Castyl nodded slowly, holding his book up. "Oh, I do. I just wasn't paying attention. Sorry, man."

"Night?"

"You know why." That was all he said.

DJ nodded. "We need to talk after the meeting. Would everyone else be at least okay with trying it for awhile?"

The others confirmed, and we dismissed the meeting. Shadow slid closer to her brother, not saying anything, just kinda looking at him. DJ crossed over to them and crouched down to Night's level.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm… They're getting worse, DJ. It was hard enough to trust _you_ , much less joining up with some… army. I told you when I joined you that I didn't really like people in general."

I sat down beside Shadow, noting the concern in her eyes. "Nothing's gonna happen to you, either of you, I promise."

"Yeah. If anyone _does_ try something, remember you've got nine people ready to back you up," DJ added.

Night half-smiled.

"Tell you what… I have a lead to follow, and I'm thinking you two may want to come with me. It might make you feel better, not being cooped up. And I've got enough credits for some food at the place we'll go to. As long as you keep it secret. You want to?"

Shadow nodded, then glanced at her brother. "Do you?"

"I guess so."

DJ looked at me. "Why do you have creds?"

"I sold my old blaster, and I've been saving them for replacing my jacket, but this is worth it." I nodded at the siblings. "Grab your blasters, just in case."

They walked off together and came back a couple minutes later.

"Be careful. All of you," DJ said, glancing at me.

"I will," Shadow and I chorused. Night just nodded. They took one bike, I took another. _This might be a bad idea, but if things do go south, at least he'll know he's safe no matter what._ I could feel the weapon on my belt, hidden by my shirt. _Try not to use it._

The bar didn't have many customers when we got there, but since it wasn't quite dark yet, that wasn't surprising. Shadow stayed half a step behind me, with Night right beside her. We got a table and ordered. _He won't be here for another half hour. Food first._

"You should try to eat, okay?" I said when I noticed Night picking at his food. "I could hear your stomach growling during the meeting."

Shadow nodded. "Ye' Miah. It good."

"Try not to talk with your mouth full, kiddo."

She swallowed and nodded, giggling quietly. It took a little more prodding from her for Night to eat, mostly because she pouted at him until he caved. He didn't eat all of it, but anything was better than nothing. People had started showing up halfway through our meal, and I glanced up, watching for my informant. He was one of the last ones to walk in, stopping at the door until he saw me and walked over.

"You did show up," he commented.

Night and Shadow looked up from their quiet conversation at the voice, and Shadow's eyes went wide. Night wrapped his arm around her, pressing them both as far away from Mathius as they could. Night had his head bowed, speaking softly to his sister while she trembled.

Mathius looked at them. "You were Maxcy's, weren't you? He finally get sick of you?"

I was on my feet and had his collar fisted in my hands before he finished. "Leave them alone."

"Thought you were be-"

"They're better people than you. Where's the info you promised you had?"

Mathius snorted. "Like I'm givin' it to you _now_. Hanging out with sl-"

I tightened my hold and he choked. "Say it, and I snap your neck. Where's the info?"

He scrabbled for something in his pocket, then tossed a data-pad onto the table while he gasped for breath.

I let him go and pushed him backwards, still angry at him. Night was still blocking Shadow from where Mathius had been, but I could see him shaking. I sat down beside them, lightly resting my hand on his back.

"Night?"

"I won't let them take her back. I won't."

I shook my head as I put the data-pad in my pocket. "Nobody will. I promise. I didn't know he knew you. You're both safe, remember?"

Night stayed like that for a few more seconds, then turned and hugged me. "Thank you, Ren. You… you stood up for us." He rested his head on my shoulder, and I pretended not to notice that he was crying. Shadow joined the hug as well, still trembling slightly.

"That's what I-what _we're_ here for. Nobody's ever going to hurt you or Shadow again."

"They… They didn't hurt her much. I protected her," Night whispered so Shadow couldn't hear. "They hurt me."

 _That's why Shadow doesn't have many scars._ I hugged him tighter. "Never again."

Shadow fell asleep on the way back to the ship, and I helped Night carry her inside. Once they were both in their beds, I found DJ.

"I think Shadow and Night should share a room," I said once I met up with him in the cock-pit. "I feel like it would help his nightmares."

"Yeah, okay." Then he hesitated. "But wouldn't we have to share a room, too?"

I shrugged. "So? I mean, I like sharing a room with Shadow, but I think it would be best for both of them."

DJ thought it over, then shrugged too. "I guess it'd be okay. Kinda weird, though."

"Only if we make it weird."

I went to my room and climbed into bed. _I really hope I wasn't blushing like I felt like I was._ _But I probably was._ I switched on the data-pad and scanned the data. Prisoner files for a prison in the deep core or the inner rim. It wasn't specific.

The prisoner files had images, and one of them was my brother. A few years older, his hair buzz cut, but still him.

"Prisoner 1013."


End file.
